By BEX Staff for AZBEX
A flareup of resident resistance has led to a continuance for the Cosanti Commons multifamily and mixed-use proposal in Scottsdale.
As originally reported by AZBEX last July, the initial plan by High Street Residential for the 8.5-acre site at Shea Blvd. and Scottsdale Road was to redevelop a retail lot into a 239-unit multifamily community. That plan was subsequently revised downward to 196 units, and the development was renamed from Sundown Commons to Cosanti Commons.
The name change reflects a partnership between the developer and The Cosanti Foundation, which will use part of the property as a dedicated exhibit space and utilize flex space on the site for educational programs.
The rezoning and development review requests advanced easily through the Scottsdale Development Review Board and Planning Commission and were scheduled for a City Council hearing on June 4. Local news sources report, however, that project representative law firm Berry Riddell, LLC requested a continuance, and the hearing was rescheduled for Aug. 20.
In the March Development Review meeting, some members expressed disappointment that the unit count was not higher and advocated for the addition of another floor and more units, given the arterial location of the planned site.
In the interim, however, a vocal group of residents has stepped forward, largely using NextDoor, to express their displeasure at another comparatively large multifamily development being proposed in the city. John Berry of Berry Riddell said the continuance was requested to allow more time to meet with neighbors and explain the proposal.
Opposition statements included the standard worries about increased traffic and crime, both of which have been generally discredited in multifamily versus commercial/retail developments.
